Another First Date
by HoodedSpellcaster
Summary: Dirk Cresswell asks finally his dream girl on a date.


AN: Hoodie here! This is written for the Quidditch League Competition Round 5 (as a reserve chaser for Montrose Magpies). Dirk Cresswell's first date everybody! Enjoy.

* * *

/Another First Date/

_Dirk 'Never going to get a date' Cresswell._

That was the name his dorm mates used before the sixth year and well yes, it was completely understandable and even Dirk found it acceptable because he was more than a little clumsy looking and in his opinion so scrawny it wasn't even fair. But the summer between the fifth and the sixth year changed the situation more than Dirk had ever believed it would.

Getting over a foot more height and weight with muscles during the past months was the last thing he had expected to happen even though he had hoped for it. He had exercised of course, what else would he have over summer in the muggle neighbourhood he lived in? He hadn't even noticed the change before trying on his school robes; the hem barely reached his ankles.

But after returning back to school in September he was soon officially known between his House mates as _Dirk 'Puberty gone right' Cresswell. _

And he knew that finally, _finally_, he may have a chance to get a date.

Dirk, after his first serious crush during the third year, had realized that being a not so attractive and muggleborn didn't really attract girls but now things were going to be different.

* * *

It was late autumn, around November, and Dirk stood outside the Great Hall. He had finished his dinner in a record time, surprising his house mates by gobbling up a full plateful in three minutes.

He shifted his weight from one leg to another and bit the inside of his cheek. He regretted eating so much so fast. The nervousness made him want to vomit it all out. But he wouldn't back down, not today, not anymore.

Today he would ask. Today he would finally ask his dream girl out on a date.

A group of girls exited the Hall and passes Dirk, not even sharing a glance. Dirk swallowed and tried to summon his courage as he half-determinedly and half-hopelessly followed the giggling girl group. It took a while to make the words come out from his mouth.

"Um, hi? Noelle?" His words came out squeakily.

The group halted and as one person they turned to look at Dirk; a whole scale of expressions appeared on their faces – surprise, disgust, confusion.

The girl who appeared to be their leader raised her brow. "Yes, Cresswell?"

Dirk's mouth gaped open. The girl was short even for a for a sixth year student, her form was petite and makes her appear as an angel who had fallen on the surface of the ground. She was pale, like made of porcelain, and her platinum blonde hair descended down her back in smooth curls. She had eyes like cloudless summer sky, so captivating that when you stare in those blue orbs you can actually feel like you're flying. Her slightly pouty lips were pale pink and often curled up into a sweet smile.

She was Noelle Rowle, and she was the girl any boy, with slight exception of James Potter and his obsession towards a certain fiery Gryffindor, at Hogwarts would want. She was smart, popular, and talented. She was a Ravenclaw's very own pure-blood princess.

She was Dirk's dream girl.

Dirk could feel his heart pounding so fast it felt like someone was playing a drum solo inside his ribcage. Noelle Rowle had actually answered him. It was like the great Wizard God gave Dirk finally a chance to charm her. Actually, if there was such thing as a Wizard God, he had given several opportunities to Dirk who had just been too shy to use them.

Noelle tilted her head and batted her eyes. "_Yes?_" she presses.

Dirk scratched his head and avoided Noelle's gaze. "I was just wondering", he said and suddenly started finding the floor on his spot particularly fascinating. He was born to be brave! Don't blow this up now, his subconscious shrieked at him like a banshee. "I mean, it's a Hogsmeade weekend and I thought…" Dirk raised his eyes and gave an awkward smile. "Would you go out with me…?"

Noelle's lips curled slightly upwards. "Like… as in a date?" The other girls began heatedly whispering behind her back. One glance from Noelle and they silenced. She smiled at Dirk. "Just the two us?" she asked.

Dirk nodded slowly and Noelle beamed at him.

"Sure thing. Just pick me up from the Ravenclaw Tower by eleven."

It took a moment until what Noelle had said sunk in. "Yes!" Dirk exclaimed. "I mean, I will!"

When the girl group was out from his line of sight, he sighed dreamily. He was literally on the seventh heaven.

"I'm going on a date with Noelle Rowle."

He repeated it several times just to prove to himself his dream was actually coming true. The wide smile appeared on his face.

"I'm actually going out with her!"

What ever could go wrong?

* * *

Dirk was terrified.

He walked back and forth in the corridor before the Ravenclaw Tower and fumbled his striped scarf. He was wearing his better casual clothes; a pair of light blue bell-bottom jeans and a striking yellow blouse under a simple dark blue jacket and his House scarf.

"I can do this… I _can_ do this…"

"Hi, Cresswell."

Dirk boggled at being addressed so suddenly and turned around in slight panic. Noelle came alone out from the Ravenclaw common room. She was dressed in a blue and white polka dot skirt and a white turtleneck with a dark fur vest. She had tied her scarf around her neck and her blonde curls were tied on a low ponytail with a simple white bowtie.

She smiled sweetly. "You look good."

"Ah, hi. Noelle", Dirk said, smiling shyly back at her. "You too. I mean, you look beautiful and not just good and sweet Merlin this is…"

_Embarrassing?_ His subconscious suggested with a smirk as Dirk turned beet red. He had promised to himself he would try his best to not turn into a stuttering mess in front of his crush. Noelle sniggered.

"Shall we go?" she asked, amused, and offered her hand.

Dirk hesitated but intertwined his fingers with Noelle's. "Yeah, right. Let's go."

The thin layer of snow covers the ground and the air was getting chilly as Dirk and Noelle strolled around the Hogsmeade. Dirk, still holding Noelle's hand, followed her through the High Street and into every shop and boutique she wanted to go. And Noelle was apparently determined to tour the whole Hogsmeade. But just looking at Noelle made Dirk's heart leap faster and he wouldn't have minded touring the whole Scotland for her.

Dirk who had never in his life actually been on a date tried his best to not show it. He wanted Noelle to have a good time with him. So they talked, mostly about Noelle and her friends. Few times the conversation wandered into Quidditch, school, upcoming seventh year NEWTs. Noelle frowned every time the conversation turned the way she didn't like and she immediately changed subject.

"Oh, Honeydukes!" she exclaimed happily and grabbed Dirk's hand. "Come!"

How could had Dirk said no when Noelle looked into his eyes her own bright blue orbs shining as she looked through the shop window? No, he definitely couldn't.

"Thank you, Mr. Flume", Dirk said politely when paying for the sugar quills, chocolate frogs and other treats he had bought for Noelle. Mr. Flume grinned widely, revealing his crooked teeth.

"A happy customer is a good customer", he said.

"Thank you so much, Cresswell", Noelle cooed and hugged Dirk's arm. "You're so sweet!"

Dirk's face heated up and when they stepped out the shop the cold air didn't bother him anymore. Asking Noelle out was probably his best decision ever.

* * *

The Honeydukes was just a beginning.

From McHavelock's Wizarding Headgear Dirk bought Noelle a new pair of ear muffs when she complained about the cold weather. Scrivenshaft's Quill Shop sold them several new quills and in Tomes and Scrolls Dirk bought Noelle a new divination textbook since some clumsy girl named Trelawney had borrowed hers and spilled tea on it.

Dirk did all that to see Noelle smile.

"Where do you want to go next?" Dirk asked with a smile. Even though his wallet was a lot lighter than in the morning he didn't regret going out with Noelle. He was living a dream come true.

"Madam Puddifoot's would be fine", Noelle said and pointed at the small teashop.

And that's where they went. The place was cramped as always, happy couples in the tables everywhere. They hadn't yet ordered anything since Madam Puddifoot herself where nowhere to be seen at the moment. Noelle sat on the other side of the small, round table, facing Dirk. She was being abnormally silent and she kept on glancing around the shop.

Dirk swallowed before moving his hand over Noelle's reassuringly. Perhaps she was just as nervous as he was?

"Is everything alright?"

Noelle raised her eyes and stared into Dirk's eyes but she didn't respond. And whatever Dirk saw in her eyes he most certainly couldn't place.

The door bell made a clinking sound and yet another Hogwarts student stepped into Madam Puddifoot's Teashop. He tramped straight to the table where Dirk and Noelle were sitting and without a further warning he placed his calloused hands on Noelle's shoulders.

Thorfinn Rowle was broad and bulky, a complete opposite of his sister. He, too, had blonde hair, but instead of long and curly it was short and sleek. He was a Beater in the Slytherin Quidditch team and that was probably the only thing he was found good at. That and beating other students.

"Noelle." His voice was plain and uninterested. "Let's go."

Noelle snatched her hand away from Dirk and stood up, gathering her belongings.

It took a while from Dirk to find his voice after he couldn't feel the warmth of the girl under his hand. He was starting to feel panicky when Noelle glanced at him.

"Noelle…? What's–?"

He felt so out of place, he felt… He wasn't sure what he felt. Noelle merely raised a brow.

"No hard feelings, Cresswell", she said and Thorfinn smirked behind her back. "You're just totally gullible and _naïve_." She spat the words out with such a venomous tone anyone would ponder why she hadn't got sorted into Slytherin like her brother. "Did you really think I would go on a date with a loser like you with no reason? Well think again."

Dirk couldn't say a word when Noelle walked away with Thorfinn. He slumped on his chair and held his head down, leaning on his elbows. Noelle acting like that towards him felt like having someone pulling the rag from under his feet or punching him right in his gut but worse. So many times worse it made him want to go die in a corner.

The feeling of his heart being broken into pieces by a girl he liked, by the girl he had dreamed about for two years. He had trusted her and believed she would like him back. Every single sweet word she had said had been nothing but for using him for her advantage.

Was he the first to fall for her? He doubted it. And he wasn't going to be the last.

"I saw what happened."

Dirk looked up. There was a girl, looking down at him sympathetically. She had freckled face and soft, fir green eyes. Her mousy hair was tied into two identical pigtails and her whole outfit highlighted her ordinariness – she was wearing a beige pullover, seemingly too big for her and a coal grey bell skirt which hid her knees.

She wasn't smiling. "May I?" She beckoned the stool Noelle had previously been using. Dirk just nodded and the girl sat down across from him. "Listen, I…"

"I'm not feeling very talkative right now", Dirk whispered. He didn't want to sound too rude but the last thing he wanted was to talk about anything. "So if you, umm…?"

"Kelly Keaton. Same year as you."

Dirk's subconscious slapped him on his face. He didn't even remember even the students from his own year through how miserable he was and… He blinked, looking intently at the girl. Kelly tilted her head, confused by Dirk's changed behaviour.

"You're that girl who got struck by a Pimple Hex!" Dirk finally exclaimed when noticing who he was actually talking to. Oh yes, Kelly Keaton. It seemed like he wasn't the only one whose puberty had gone right.

Kelly flushed deep red and looked down. "Yeah, that's me..."

"Oh, sorry." Dirk bit his lip, ashamed of reminding her of such a thing.

"No! No, it's nothing", Kelly reassured quickly. "I must have looked so horrible no one can really forget who I am", she joked half-heartedly. "Do you want to tell what happened with Noelle before Rowle came in? It could help."

And so Dirk poured his heart out for the half-blood Hufflepuff girl who he barely knew but who listened to him. After he finished there was a moment of silence when neither of them said a word.

"I think, you deserve someone better than Noelle Rowle", Kelly said at last. Her tone was serious but she wasn't looking at Dirk when she talked. "No one really does reserve her. I'm sorry she used you."

Dirk gave a hesitant smile. "Thanks."

Kelly smiled back at him. "Anytime."

"–and here comes the young couple's order", Madam Puddifoot said brightly, taking both of them by a surprise. She placed two small plates and teacups on the table. The cakes had pale pink frosting and chocolate hearts on top. Puddifoot smiled. "On your first date are you–?"

Dirk shook his head vigorously. "No, we're just –"

"Enjoy your tea!" Madam Puddifoot chirped, not listening at a single word Dirk was just saying. She was always right, even when she wasn't. That was the truth.

"She misunderstood us", Dirk mumbled, embarrassed as he was and hid his face by his hands. Kelly smiled faintly and poked her piece of cake with her spoon.

"Not that I would actually mind", she whispered. Dirk dropped his hands from his face and stared at the girl, dumbfounded. Kelly smiled. "Going on a date with you…"

Dirk blushed scarlet and looked at the smiling face of Kelly Keaton. Perhaps asking Noelle Rowle on a date was indeed the best decision of his life. And yes, maybe Kelly was nothing like Noelle. She was genuinely nice. She was pretty.

She was much more.

"Does this count as a date?" Dirk asked unsurely. Kelly looked at him, her eyes wide open. She wasn't sure had he heard him correctly but after one look at Dirk she knew she had.

"It does."


End file.
